January 22, 2007
State and Local Strategies Profiled in National Publication
The National Journal featured the President’s
Faith-Based and Community Initiative in a
recent cover story entitled, “Leaps of Faith,” by
Paul Singer and Brian Friel. Interviewing
Federal and state officials, the article highlighted
methods used to encourage grassroots efforts and
OFBCI Newsletter
to “professionalize and stabilize” the thousands
of small, grassroots charities
located in communities
across the country. Jay
Hein, Director of the White
House Office of Faith-Based
and Community Initiatives,
emphasized that the faith
and community initiative is
really about locating small,
locally based charities and helping them get
access to government assistance that had been
otherwise mostly available to larger, more
established organizations. According to Jedd
Medefind, Director of the Center for Faith-Based
and Community Initiatives at the U.S.
Department of Labor, the grassroots element is
important as it helps organizations “draw upon
volunteers that share the same ZIP code as the
problem – [that] have a personal commitment to
the people they are serving.”
State officials agree. Krista Sisterhen, former
director of the Governor’s Office of Faith-Based
and Community Initiatives in Ohio, described
how her state’s officials viewed the Initiative as
a means to “improve the way government
purchases…and gets social services delivered.”
To help reach that goal, the state developed a
curriculum on organizational development and
management which it uses to train community
White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives
groups around the state. To date, over 2,000
groups have benefited from the training.
The Initiative is also crossing party lines with
offices being established by governors and
mayors of both major political parties. Richard
Cizik, vice president for governmental affairs at
the National Association of Evangelicals,
observed in the article, “to collapse the faith-
based initiative into partisan politics is to miss
the larger reality of public-private partnerships
and to ignore where the action is today.”
Currently, there are 33 states and over one
hundred cities that have an office or liaison for
the Initiative.
In December, the state faith and community
liaisons were invited to the White House. As the
Roundtable on Religion and Social Welfare
Policy reported, the conversation was driven by
the liaisons rather than the White House–creating
an opportunity to share effective strategies and to
collaborate on various efforts. Tammy Payne,
Idaho’s liaison, captured the meeting’s theme by
saying that the Initiative “truly is going to be
imbedded and live in our communities.”
For more information regarding states with an
office or liaison for Faith-Based and Community
Initiatives, visit www.fbci.gov.
To view the full National Journal article, visit
www.nationaljournal.com/about/njweekly/stories
/2007/0105nj1.htm.
To view the full Roundtable article, visit
www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/newsletters/arti
cle.cfm?id=5749.
If you are interested in receiving our weekly e-
newsletter "OFBCI Update", visit www.fbci.gov
and click the Join Our Mailing List link.
PH: 202-456-6708 FX: 202-456-7019
 Compassion in Action Roundtable: Grassroots Solutions for Reducing Youth
Violence
On January 16, 2007, Director Jay Hein
welcomed over one hundred community and
faith leaders; local, state, and Federal
government officials; and school administrators
and teachers to the White House for the first
“Compassion in Action Roundtable” focused on
Grassroots Solutions for Reducing Youth
Violence. The roundtable launched a monthly
series that will highlight organizations, programs
and policies that are addressing critical social
needs.
OFBCI Newsletter
The Honorable Paul McNulty, Deputy Attorney
General of the U.S. Department of Justice,
opened the event by describing the issues
underlying youth violence and the Federal
government’s role in addressing these concerns.
Mr. McNulty commented on the violent nature
of music, television and video games which
surround today’s youth and how this violent
culture has contributed to increasing gang
violence across the country. Emphasizing that
Federal dollars alone cannot change this culture,
he outlined the importance of faith-based and
community organizations in meeting the long
term goals of reducing crime rates and youth
violence.
Mr. McNulty noted his appreciation for the work
of individuals like Bob Woodson, founder of the
Center for Neighborhood Enterprise (CNE) and
twenty-five year veteran in the fight against
youth violence. He cited Woodson’s role in
establishing the Violence Free Zone Initiative
and implementing other strategies to address
substance abuse, teen pregnancy and poor
education. Mr. Woodson recognized youth
advisors as an essential component of the
Violence Free Zone Initiative’s success. Youth
advisors are drawn from the same cultural and
geographic zip codes as the youth they serve.
They act as moral mentors and life coaches who
transform the culture and encourage change in
violent youth through support and acceptance.
Dr. John Deasy, CEO of Prince George’s County
Public Schools, also praised the Violence Free
Zone Initiative, highlighting the results the
program has produced within his own school
White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives
district. In the program’s first year at Prince
George’s County Public Schools, the number of
violent incidents dropped from 130 to 50.
Michael Grebe, President and CEO of The
Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation, attributed
the success of the Violence Free Zone Initiative
to several factors, including their grassroots,
nonpartisan and non-ideological nature. He
highlighted the program’s ability to be a win-win
situation for all those involved: public officials,
philanthropists, and most importantly, the youth
themselves. Mr. Grebe concluded by praising
the program for its ability to provide results in a
cost-effective manner, with a focus on overall
accountability.
Pictured left to right: Curtis Jones, Jr., Billy H.
Stanfield, Robert Woodson & Derrick Compton
Five leaders of grassroots organizations were
highlighted for the roles their groups have played
in implementing Violence Free Zones:
Gwendolyn Poles Sands, CEO and Executive
Director of Visions Unlimited in Atlanta,
Georgia; Billy Stanfield, Founder and Executive
Director of New Vision Youth Services in
Baltimore, Maryland; Omar Jahwar, Founder of
Vision Regeneration in Dallas, Texas; Curtis
Watkins, Founder and President of the East
Capitol Center for Change in Washington
DC/Prince George’s County, Maryland; and
Ramon Candelaria, Executive Director of the
Latino Community Center in Milwaukee,
Wisconsin. Each of these community leaders
shared how Violence Free Zones have helped
youth to realize their potential in situations
where hopelessness previously prevailed.
To learn more about the Violence Free Zone
Initiative, visit www.cneonline.org.
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 View from the Federal Agencies

FBCOs Win Grants to Fight Workshops for Organizations

HIV/AIDS through the New Partners Interested in Tutoring Low-Income
Initiative Students

In December of 2006, the United States Agency
for International Development announced the
first round of New Partners Initiative (NPI)
grants. Twenty-three grants were awarded to
organizations that will work in 13 of the 15
countries that make up the focus of the
President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief
(PEPFAR). These grants will last three years
and will provide a total of up to $72 million.
Many of these partners are faith-based groups,
OFBCI Newsletter
The U.S. Department of Education Center for
Faith-Based and Community Initiatives is
conducting a series of free technical assistance
workshops for organizations interested in
tutoring students from low-income families who
attend Title I schools that are in their second year
of school improvement, corrective action or
restructuring. The workshops will also include
information on No Child Left Behind, the 21st
Century Community Learning Centers program

including the Catholic Medical Mission Board,
Christian Reformed World Relief Committee,
Church Alliance for Orphans, and Nazarene
Compassionate Ministries, Inc.
President George W. Bush
announced NPI on World AIDS
Day, December 1, 2005. A part
of PEPFAR, NPI is a $200 million initiative
(through FY2008) that will fund HIV/AIDS
prevention and care in 15 PEPFAR focus
countries.
For more information on the resources provided
through NPI, visit www.pepfarnpi.com.
(funding for after-school programs), grant
writing, grant administration and capacity
building.
The next four workshops will be held in:
1) Los Angeles, CA on January 25th
2) Miami, FL on January 30th
3) Tampa, FL on February 1st
4) Dallas, TX on February 7th
For more locations and to register online for
these technical assistance workshops, visit
www.ed.gov/about/inits/list/fbci/regform.html. If
you are unable to register online, please call
(202) 219-1741.

Department of Agriculture Department of Justice

202-720-3631 202-514-2987
www.usda.gov/fbci www.ojp.usdoj.gov/fbci

Department of Commerce Department of Labor

Centers 202-482-4355 202-693-6450
For www.commerce.gov/fbci www.dol.gov/cfbci
Faith-Based
Department of Education Department of Veterans Affairs
& 202-219-1741 202-273-7499
Community www.ed.gov/faithandcommunity www.va.gov/opa/fbci
Initiatives
Department of Health & Human Services Small Business Administration
In the 202-358-3595 202-205-9037
Federal www.hhs.gov/fbci www.sba.gov/fbci
Agencies Department of Homeland Security U.S. Agency for International Development
202-447-3342 202-712-4080
www.dhs.gov/fbci www.usaid.gov/our_work/global_partnerships/fbci/

Department of Housing & Urban Development Corporation for National & Community Service
202-708-2404 202-606-5000
www.hud.gov/offices/fbci/index.com www.nationalservice.gov

White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives PH: 202-456-6708 FX: 202-456-7019
 The Faces of Compassion
The White House Office of Faith-Based and
Community Initiatives (OFBCI) recognizes that
the work of touching and transforming lives is
often undertaken by committed citizens
operating with big hearts and shoestring budgets.
OFBCI aims to strengthen and support the work
of these neighborhood healers. For this reason,
OFBCI hosts regional conferences throughout
the country to help social service providers better
understand the President’s Initiative and how to
more effectively compete for public and private
resources.
On January 18th, at the 29th White House
Conference on Faith-
OFBCI Newsletter
Based and Community
Initiatives in Seattle,
Washington, Director
Jay Hein spoke about
the importance of local
communities meeting
local needs. He Pictured left to right: Greg
recognized six local Joseph, Jay Hein, & James
Meiser
organizations as
“Champions of Compassion” for their
outstanding work in Oregon and Washington.
One of these groups was the Salvation Army
Harbor Light Center in Portland, Oregon.
Harbor Light has received grant awards from the
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs for its
programs to house homeless veterans.*
James Meiser, a veteran whose life was turned
around by the program, told the audience how
When America serves others in this way,
we show the strength and generosity of
our country. These deeds reflect the
character of our people. The greatest
strength we have is the heroic kindness,
courage, and self-sacrifice of the
American people.
President George W. Bush, January 2007
White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives
grateful he was for the help he received from
Harbor Light. James came to Harbor Light cold,
hungry and sick after being released from jail.
Although skeptical that the Salvation Army
could help him, he was desperate to be well and
to kick his drug habit. Mr. Meiser shared at the
conference, “Harbor Light gave me a place to
stay, food, clothes, and most of all
encouragement…I've come to believe that if all
the armies of the world were like yours [Harbor
Light] the world would be a better place. Yours
is an army that fires bullets of hope, grenades of
compassion, and atomic bursts of love.” Mr.
Meiser credits Harbor Light with providing him
hope and bringing success to his recovery
efforts.
Other “Champions of Compassion” included:
The Bethlehem Inn in Bend, Oregon; William
Factory Small Business Incubator in Tacoma,
Washington; The Center for Empowerment in
Seattle, Washington; The Compass Center in
Seattle, Washington; and SE Works in Portland,
Oregon.
*Harbor Light has been a recipient of the U.S. Department
of Veterans Affairs (VA) Per Diem program since 2003.
The Per Diem grant ranges from $215,000 to $220,000 per
year, depending on the number of veterans living at Harbor
Light. In 2006, Harbor Light received a VA Capital Grant
for $466,000 to create 24 new beds for its Veterans
Emergency Transition Shelter (VETS) program. The
Capital Grant is being used to improve and expand Harbor
Light’s capacity and will help double the number of
veterans served from 24 to 48.
PH: 202-456-6708 FX: 202-456-7019
 FAITH BASED AND COMMUNITY INITIATIVE
THE WEEK AHEAD
Monday, January 22, 2007 | Saturday, January 27, 2007

Monday, January 22

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE: Steve McFarland addresses the National Institute of Corrections

and American Corrections Association Winter meeting on reentry
Tampa, Florida

Tuesday, January 23

WHITE HOUSE: President Bush delivers the State of the Union Address
9:01:30 PM (EST)
United States Capitol | Washington, DC
OFBCI Newsletter

Wednesday, January 24

WHITE HOUSE OFBCI: Jay Hein speaks at the National Association of Evangelicals Student
Leadership Conference
Washington, DC

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE: Steve McFarland addresses the Executive Council of Progressive

Baptist Conference
Houston, Texas

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR: Scott Shortenhaus exhibits and speaks at the SAHMSA Access to
Recovery 2007 Winter Grantee Conference entitled, ‘Optimizing Outcomes through Sharing
Knowledge’ (Access to Recovery Conference).
Fort Lauderdale, Florida

DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT: Rob Bogart addresses the

Unlocking Doors Conference highlighting affordable community housing efforts.
Los Angeles, California

Thursday, January 25

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES: Greg Morris addresses the Access to
Recovery Conference. HHS CFBCI also exhibits at the event.
Fort Lauderdale, Florida

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE: Miriam Moore addresses the Bureau of Justice Assistance

Regional Conference
Baltimore, Maryland

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION: Education conducts its No Child Left Behind, Supplemental

Educational Services and 21st CCLC Technical Assistance Workshop
Los Angeles, California

White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives PH: 202-456-6708 FX: 202-456-7019